Analysis of the Morphosyntactic Structure of Utterances in Dholuo/Kiswahili Code switching

Abstract

Code switching, the use of any two or more languages or dialects interchangeably in a single communication context, is a common linguistic practice owing to the trend of multilingualism in the world today. The study identified and described the morphosyntactic structure of utterances in Dholuo/ Kiswahili code switching. It was conducted in Nyangeta Zone, Winam Division of Kisumu East sub county, Kisumu County. The study determined the suitability of the MLF Model proposed by Myers- Scotton in 1993a to be used in the analysis of code switched utterances using Dholuo/ Kiswahili code switching data. The Descriptive Survey Design was used to investigate population by selecting samples to analyse and discover occurrences. Study population consisted of twenty four teachers, twelve from Sugar Research School and twelve others from two other schools that make up the Nyangeta Zone. These schools are Kibos Prison Primary School and Kibos School for the Visually Handicapped. Reliability of the instrument was determined through a pilot study in Sugar Research School. Data was collected using participant observation in focus group discussion. The discussion was taped using a tape recorder which was discretely placed to minimize observer effect. Taping of code switched utterances in informal conversation was done. Systematic Random Sampling was used to select fifty code switched sentences. The collected data was analysed qualitatively using the MLF Model. The study revealed that the MLF model was adequate in the analysis of code switched utterances. Dholuo was the overall matrix language while Kiswahili was the embedded language as proposed in the MLF Model. The Morpheme Frequency was adequate in the identification of the Matrix Language. The Morpheme Order Principle and System Morpheme Principle were also adequate in the identification of the matrix language. Besides analyzing Dholuo/Kiswahili code switching, the study also set to find out if the practice of code switching poses any threat to the existence of Dholuo as an indigenous language among its native speakers. The study also established that indeed Kiswahili has greatly influenced and infiltrated Dholuo at the linguististic levels of diffusion namely semantic, Phonological, morphological and syntactic levels. The study recommends that more studies should be done on the MLF model using different sets of indigenous languages and Kiswahili to establish the effects of Kiswahili on these languages and to establish whether these languages are facing threats from Kiswahili since it has also been elevated to the status of both official and national language in the new constitutional dispensation.